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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Janice C., Youth Organizer from YA-YA Network

7:35:40

·

118 sec

Janice C., a youth organizer from YA-YA Network, testifies about the importance of a supportive school environment and advocates for $80 million in funding for restorative justice counselors instead of relying on police in schools. She shares a personal experience of a school lockdown and argues that community members trained in restorative justice would be more effective in handling crises than police officers.

Janice describes a recent incident at her school where a student pulled a weapon during a fight, resulting in a 90-minute lockdown.
She emphasizes that police officers are not equipped to counsel students in crisis and their presence can be detrimental to the school environment.
The testimony highlights the potential benefits of investing in restorative justice approaches for creating a more nurturing school environment and addressing student behavioral issues.

Janice C.

7:35:40

Good afternoon Chairwoman Joseph and council members at large.

7:35:44

My name is Janice Chong and I'm a youth organizer with the AYAH Network and the Dignity in Schools Campaign.

7:35:50

As a student of the largest high school in America, I know firsthand how important having a supportive school environment is to students like me.

7:35:59

However, my school recently experienced a hold where everyone was kept in their classrooms for over an hour and a half because there was a hunt for a student who pulled a weapon on another student during a fight.

7:36:12

The amount of police officers, questions, and anxiety that filled the school that day was overwhelming.

7:36:19

In those one hundred minutes I sat in my AP stats class, I thought about how dangerous this hold was towards the supportive school environment that I know and love, and how dangerous this hold was on the well-being of the student who was clearly going through a crisis.

7:36:33

This is why I am here today to implore you council members to grant $80,000,000 directly to schools to hire more community members in support of roles rather than rely on the police.

7:36:46

In the case of this hold, a community member trained in restorative justice would have been able to deescalate the fighting situation between the two students, calm the student who pulled the weapon, and prevent the hold entirely.

7:37:00

I know you might ask, why not fund more police officers in schools for more protection?

7:37:05

Well, the NYPD isn't equipped with the necessary skills to help students in crisis.

7:37:11

They're trained to catch criminals, not counsel students.

7:37:14

Instead of using a method that predominantly hards students of color, if you grant $80,000,000 towards restorative justice counselors, you will create a more nurturing school environment, which I know you guys all want.

7:37:29

Without this money, you will irreparably perpetuate a system that ensures students are treated like prisoners and not people.

7:37:37

Thank you for your time.

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Testimony by Hadia A., Student, on Restorative Justice Funding in NYC Schools

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Testimony by Sandra Mitchell, Parent Leader from New Settlement Parent Action Committee